The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-07-29

SOME pLEAsANTRIEs AND FACTS
ABOUT HIM.
Mexlah WviGht Bliss.

IL another noteworthy son OF Vermont who
came OF an ancestry conspicuous for lon.
gently and fruitfulness. In evidence cite
some facts. His father, Capt. Ellis Bliss OF
Bradford, had family of thirteen children,
his mothers father had the same number,
and Nexiah w. has had family of thlr-
teen, ten sons and three daughters, of whom
nine OF the former and one of the latter are
now living. "rhere Is luck In odd num-
bers" says one, and there seems TO he moth
ing OminOus of evil In the number thirteen
as some imagine-nOt In this case ut least.
He has kept up the example of his ances-
tors In this respect and obeyed the primary
injunction TO smultiply and rcplenish the
earth," and believes with the Psalmist,
$40, children are heritage of the Lord"
etc. He Is of pure English descent; his
grandfather, Ellis Bliss, was lieutenant
In the war Of the Revolution and lived at
Hebron, Conn.,, from which place he immi-
grated, after the war, TO Bradford, VT, in
1881, and his father, Neziah WIS great
grandfather, Ellis Bliss, also of Hebron,
was the father of seventeen children. His
father, the great great grandfather of Ne
ziah, was the Rev. John Bliss of Hebron,
who graduated from Yale college, then To-
Gated at SaybrOOk in ITO, and was the first
settled pastor of the Congregational church
there In I'LL, was dismissed in 1884, when
he declared for the Episcopal church in
which he officiated as lay reader until his
death. DR.. Neziah Bliss, one of the sons of
the latter, served fourteen terms in the col
Onial legislature of Connecticut before the
Revolution, and was the father of the pub
lie common school system of the United
States, upon which the present grand SUI
perstructure has been built. The father of
Rev. John was Samuel Bliss, of Norwich,
son of Thomas Bliss, Jr., who came with
his father Thomas from BelstOne Parish,
DevOnshire, England, in 1886, settling first
in Braintree, Mass, thence to Hartford,
Conn.,, later to SaybrOOk, and in 1850 NOV
ed, with thirty-ive other families, to Nor
witch, under the leadership of Rev. James
Fitch, and settled that place. The Bliss
family were, as will be seen, pioneers in
the settlement of two states, Connecticut
and Vermont. 1t will also be seen that the
subject of this mention has distinguish
ed ancestry, and well may be proud of it,
and presume he is. They have been men
of marked character and notable character
istics in the profession and otherwise, and
they lived correct and natural lives. Nor
al purity and physical strength have car
ried them through several generations un-
Il ~,n;a ,f INN rr
feeble class of men and women would have
disappeared. In honest ancestry is guar
antee of a correct life. Some one has said
sHe who is not proud OF his ancestors
shows, either that he had no ancestors to be
proud of or else that he is degenerate son."
Neziah w. is a worthy living representa-
tive of his ancestors. There is not noble
trait Of the past of it which is not preserv-
ed in him. His career has been one of hon.
or and such as the higher minded and bet
ter part OF the people look upon with favor
ana apprUvai. ass'- 49, .--s. - ---
Neziah w. Bliss was born at Bradford
Jan. 81, 1926; his father was Capt. Ellis
Bliss, one of the most prominent and active
men in that part of Vermont in his day and
his mothers maiden name was
Mary B. Worthen, a sister of Prof. Amos
H. WOrthen, state geolOgist of Illinois. He
was primarily educated at the common
schools and academy in Bradford, where he
for and entered the University Of
Vermont where he finished his classical ed
ucatiOn, graduating in the class of 1916,
and had for classmates such now distin-
guished men as ex-chief justice John A.
Jameson and H. r. Stebbins, Esq, of Chi
cagO, Judge Isaac s. Belcher of the SUI
preme court of California, Judge Thomas |
l.. Nelson of the U. s. circuit court of Mass |
and Judge John w. May and |
Hon. H. 0. Houghton of Boston, ETC., and
he is worthy of having had such associates |
and classmates. AS a bright student and
scholar he had few equals in his class. At
ter graduating he taught school in Vermont
and New Hampshire, and subsequently
read law with r. NICK. Ormsby Of Bradford,
came west in the spring of 1847 and first To-
lated in southern Ohio, where his brother
or more than fifty years: he taught school
here for few years and until 1850, when
le moved to Warsaw, ILL.,, entered law Of
ice and continued his studies. He married
here in 1852, and was admitted to the bar
n 1854, when he formed partnership with
Judge John w. March in 1855, and became
he general attorney of the dry goods house
# Doan, King & Co., of st. Louis, doing
heir legal and collecting business in the
northwest. In 1857 he moved to Missouri
nd took charge of the well known Chotean
ract of lead mining property owned by the
!. Louis Lead and Mining Company, COM
Osed of ST. Louis capitalists. He managed
his extensive interest with ability and tact
nd to the satisfaction of the stockholders.
n 1852 he moved to Chicago and accepted
he position of attorney and solicitor for
he great dry goods house of Marshall
'ield q Co., and has successfully conduct
some important litigations in which the
louise was interested. Among the cases
vas the recovery of over $4,000 over ,
harges in custom duties on imports; and
as evidenced tact, skill and thorough
nowledge of commercial law in the con-
uct of the business generally.